Placebo control study of acute smokeless tobacco abstinence in young adult men

Tobacco use can lead to dependence, as indicated by withdrawal symptomatology during abstinence. In smokers, nicotine-free cigarettes suppress tobacco withdrawal, suggesting that non-nicotine stimuli may be relevant to tobacco dependence. This study examined non-nicotine factors in smokeless tobacco (SLT) withdrawal. SLT users used their own brand of SLT, nicotine-free SLT, or no SLT hourly in 3 approximately 4.5-hr sessions. Participant-rated measures of craving and desire to use SLT were elevated in the abstinence condition relative to the own-brand and nicotine-free conditions. Heart rate was significantly elevated in sessions in which participants' own brand was administered relative to the nicotine-free and abstinence conditions. These results support the notion that stimuli associated with tobacco use may have some withdrawal suppressing qualities, at least in the short term.